Since fashion is a reflection of the times, it makes sense that designers should be looking for lasting ways to conserve the environment while still setting trends. They’re taking into account that the cotton industry uses 25 percent of the world’s pesticides, with terrible consequences for wildlife and aquifers; that in an increasingly profligate society, recycling clothes might be a worthwhile endeavor; and that PVC, a chemically-produced plastic that doesn’t break down, perhaps isn’t the slickest of materials after all.
FutureFashion, an initiative pioneered by Earth Pledge and sponsored by Barneys New York and others, is bringing eco-conscious clothes to a well-heeled audience. For New York Fashion Week, Earth Pledge presented a group show featuring everything from casual day wear to ball gowns — all made with nature-friendly or secondhand fabrics. “Design and creativity don’t have to be sacrificed to make garments that are less harmful to the earth,” says Julie Gilhart, Barneys’ fashion director. “In fact, developing something sustainable can be a much more creative process.” Leslie Hoffman, the executive director of Earth Pledge, says fashion will play a key role in the greening of the planet because of its ability to set trends across a variety of industries and markets.
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